"Cough, cough, cough!"
A cough erupted from behind Liu Chen again, and upon hearing it, Liu Chen couldn't help but chuckle.
Ren Yu took a deep breath, straightened up, and turned to face the person coughing so hard their face turned red. "Brother Jiang Di, your throat really doesn't seem well. How about some lozenge syrup? It'll prevent you from coughing so much and damaging your throat. Then how will you teach?"
Jiang Di blinked and chuckled without answering.
Seeing Jiang Di's expression, Ren Yu felt even more that Liu Chen's earlier suggestion was excellent.
Turning to look at Liu Chen, who was openly stifling a laugh, Ren Yu deliberately asked, "Chenchen, since you want to take a risk, we should discuss it with everyone in the family too. Or do you think it's better to let them react more naturally?"
Jiang Di: ??? What risk? I'm starting to be allergic to the word 'risk' right now!
Getting down to business, Liu Chen's smile faded, and he pondered for a moment. "Let's talk after lunch. Otherwise, I'm worried they won't be able to eat if they hear it." After all, when he told Grandpa, he hadn't yet connected this matter to the Ren family. Grandpa naively thought it was a warning or retaliation from the business world. It was entirely possible that Old Master Chen had already listed other meat processing companies as suspects in his mind.
Hearing Liu Chen's answer, Ren Yu's lips couldn't help but curve upwards.
Seeing Ren Yu's lips curl upwards, Jiang Di felt a chill run down his spine. What were they going to say? It couldn't be about publicly dating, could it?! The thought made Jiang Di feel utterly miserable. As he followed Liu Chen into the house, he saw everyone happily playing mahjong. Jiang Di sighed and shook his head slightly. "Laugh now, laugh now. You won't be able to laugh soon."
Liu Fen looked up and saw her son shaking his head and sighing. She frowned slightly and leaned her head towards her husband to whisper, "Why do I feel like our son is too timid? Look, it's the same car accident, but Chenchen is acting like nothing happened and is even worried about Liu Fang. And us? Look, he's sighing and shaking his head even on New Year's Day!"
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. I'll go talk to our son."
–
When Liu Chen saw Jiang Di again at the dinner table, Jiang Di's face wore an expression of profound sympathy for all living things...
Seeing his aunt about to rush towards Jiang Di, Liu Chen raised his eyebrows, pretended not to see anything, and buried his head, eagerly awaiting his meal. The lunch was very rich, mainly because it included Liu Chen's favorite dish, Squirrel Mandarin Fish. In his previous life, due to financial constraints, Liu Chen rarely got to eat this dish. After his rebirth, money was no longer an issue, but due to the circumstances of where they ate, he rarely had the chance to order it.
After finishing the Squirrel Mandarin Fish and seeing that everyone had eaten their fill, Liu Chen wiped his mouth, folded the napkin, and placed it on the table. He looked towards his grandfather and said, "Grandpa, Mom, Uncle Chen, after you finish eating, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
Hearing this, Liu Fang, who had just raised her chopsticks, slowly put them down. Chen Long glanced at the old master and, seeing that he also looked confused, turned to look at Liu Chen. "Alright then, shall we talk in the study?"
When they arrived at the study, Chen Long and Liu Fang's eyes narrowed and their mouths parted slightly as they watched Ren Yu enter behind Liu Chen. They were both somewhat bewildered. What connection did Ren Yu have to their family's affairs? Liu Fang thought this and then asked, "Chenchen, does this have anything to do with Ren Yu too?"
Seeing his mother's confused expression, Liu Chen lowered his head and coughed lightly, avoiding his mother's gaze. He then turned to Old Master Chen and said, "I've thought of a way to provoke the mastermind."
Before Old Master Chen could respond, Liu Fang spoke first. With her pregnant belly protruding, she took two steps towards Liu Chen and stood beside him. "What way? Why provoke him? Will it be very dangerous?"
Liu Chen licked his lips. Given the consequences of hiding the car accident from his mother before, he decided to be honest with her this time. "Let Ren Yu pretend to be dating me to provoke the person behind the scenes to act against me. There will certainly be danger, but how long can you guard against a thief?"
"Absolutely not!" As soon as Liu Chen finished speaking, he was directly rejected by Liu Fang. "Absolutely not!" After saying this, Liu Fang even slammed her hand onto the back of an adjacent chair, producing a crisp "crack." Liu Fang's reaction surprised everyone. Even Chen Long was somewhat perplexed. "Afang, don't rush. Let Chenchen finish explaining. I believe Chenchen must have his reasons for planning this, right?" While speaking, Chen Long quickly helped Liu Fang sit down. Those two steps she took had nearly scared him to death.
"Because I've discovered the mastermind's target isn't me, but the Ren family..." In a few minutes, Liu Chen finished explaining his deductions and speculations. As Liu Chen spoke, Liu Fang's face grew paler and paler. By the end, she even covered her face with her hands and began to sob softly. "Mom?" Liu Chen had no choice but to pause and then hug his mother from behind, gently patting her shoulder. "Mom? Don't worry, see? I've found a good way to lure out the mastermind."
Liu Chen's words, however, only made Liu Fang cry louder. "It's my fault, it's my fault. If I hadn't married Chen Long, would all these things have happened? I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." The words "I'm sorry" were gradually drowned out by her sobs. "Sister Fang!" Hearing Liu Fang's words, Chen Long's tone revealed his hurt, but he was also worried about Liu Fang's condition. He opened his mouth, but it eventually turned into a sigh. "Sister Afang..."
Liu Chen truly hadn't expected his mother to be so heartbroken over this matter. Feeling his mother's trembling body in his arms, Liu Chen frowned. This wouldn't do. He stood up slightly and said calmly, "Mom, don't you remember? It was me who encouraged you and Uncle Chen to keep in touch. It was also me and Uncle Chen who secretly planned the wedding for you. If you want to blame anyone, then blame me too! Blame me for not stopping you! Blame me for wanting you to pursue your happiness!"
Liu Fang heard this, lowered the hands covering her face, and revealed her tear-reddened eyes. "No, no, Chenchen. Mom is a coward. It was Chenchen who pushed Mom, and only then did Mom dare to pursue her happiness!"
"So, Mom, are you going to deny the feelings between you and Uncle Chen just because of the person behind the scenes? Isn't that person detestable?"
Liu Fang finally realized how much her words had negated Chen Long. Just as she was about to turn, Chen Long gently took her tear-stained hands, wiped them with a tissue, and said, "I only hope that no matter what happens next time, Afang, you won't think of leaving me."
"Cough, cough, alright, let's discuss the details of pretending to be a couple!" Old Master Chen, looking at the unfolding scene, couldn't help but ask, "Does your family know about this, Ren Yu?"